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    Error Initializing Opera Mail Reading index.ini failed v12.17

    Opera for Windows
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    • Deleted User
      Deleted User last edited by

      Hi. Thanks for any help:

      All access to emails is denied.
      Upon browser v12.17 startup, an error message arises stating,
      "Error While Initializing Mail ...
      There was a problem initializing Opera Mail ...
      Reading index.ini failed".

      Under Tools menu, Mail and Chat accounts are greyed-out.
      Under Import and Export menu, Import Mail option is greyed-out.
      Attempts to replace index.ini with backup versions have not resolved problem.

      Please advise. Thanks!

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      • leocg
        leocg Moderator Volunteer last edited by

        Check if Opera is pointing to the correct mail folder.

        Check the path at Help > About.

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        • Deleted User
          Deleted User last edited by

          Yes index.ini is in that mail folder as listed there.
          How can one change which folder, just in case?

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          • leocg
            leocg Moderator Volunteer last edited by

            How can one change which folder, just in case?

            You can change it in opera:config. Search for "Mail Root Directory".

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            • leocg
              leocg Moderator Volunteer last edited by

              Yes index.ini is in that mail folder as listed there.

              Do you see accounts.ini there? And what about omailbase.dat?

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              • Deleted User
                Deleted User last edited by

                Yes both accounts.ini and omailbase.dat are there.

                I've already tried a reinstall alone
                and also with update from 12.16 to 12.17.
                If I not mistaken I also tried uninstall and reinstall
                instead of reinstall on top of existing only.

                I did have brief moment of quirk with greyed out options
                appearing after I switched a backup version of index.ini
                but it seemed like two windows of Opera opened and the one
                with the startup option to start from previous session was picked
                which then the error came up and I was not able to use the
                "ungreyed-out" option nor simulate that again. I am not really sure
                what allowed that quirk to come through but it encourages me that
                there is a solution, which we may be close...

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                • leocg
                  leocg Moderator Volunteer last edited by

                  Not sure if it will help but you can try deleting the files in the sessions folder in Opera's profile folder.

                  Are you able to change settings in Opera and keep them changed after closing Opera?

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                  • Deleted User
                    Deleted User last edited by

                    Tried deleting sessions folder, no fix.
                    Yes, settings can be changed and kept after closing Opera

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                    • leocg
                      leocg Moderator Volunteer last edited by

                      Yes, settings can be changed and kept after closing Opera

                      Ok, so it doesn't seems to be a problem of reading/writing in the profile folder.

                      Could you try the following?

                      • Open opera:config and look for "Mail Root Directory"
                      • Change the path (add a letter or number after Mail)
                      • Close Opera
                      • Copy the contents of the original mail folder to the new one
                      • Restart Opera
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                      • Deleted User
                        Deleted User last edited by

                        "Could you try the following? Open opera:config and look for "Mail Root Directory"
                        Change the path (add a letter or number after Mail) Close Opera
                        Copy the contents of the original mail folder to the new one Restart Opera"

                        Yes. Thanks. Tried that...

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                        • leocg
                          leocg Moderator Volunteer last edited by

                          Tried that...

                          And what was the result?

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                          • Deleted User
                            Deleted User last edited by

                            No fix but new error (sorry forgot to put new error message...):

                            Error While Initializing Mail

                            There was a problem initializing Opera Mail.

                            The following file appears to be in use by another application:
                            [C:...(the Path to mail folder and)...\omailbase.dat]

                            To retry, please close the application that uses that file or restart your system.

                            --
                            So not sure why that error.
                            I also have Opera 21 installed. But the previous error problem existed
                            before installing Opera 21 (which is installed in another folder in program files).
                            I am willing to uninstall Opera 21 if that may be the conflict corresponding with that error.

                            However, I noticed new quirk that after closing Opera 12.17...sometimes it seems like
                            unfinished closing processes (invisible in background) continue for a decent amount of time,
                            because after clicking Opera 12.17 to start again after recent closure, a prompt came up
                            asking if I wanted to "force start" Opera because it was not finished "closing"...hmm...
                            Thanks for your ongoing patience and ideas.

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                            • leocg
                              leocg Moderator Volunteer last edited by

                              I noticed new quirk that after closing Opera 12.17...sometimes it seems like
                              unfinished closing processes (invisible in background) continue for a decent amount of time

                              Opera needs to save/update some stuff and it's usually done after Opera is closed. However it should not take so long.

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                              • Deleted User
                                Deleted User last edited by

                                Right, it should not take so long.
                                I thought this happened after about 30-45 seconds or so give or take...
                                I was not counting because I was not expecting that message to pop up.

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                                • Deleted User
                                  Deleted User last edited by

                                  So about that prompt asking to choose to "force start" Opera
                                  because it was not finished "closing"...
                                  That message now seems to occur after minutes and or
                                  an hour after closing, so finally I force start in order to open browser.

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                                  • burnout426
                                    burnout426 Volunteer last edited by

                                    Sometimes problems with operaprefs.ini can cause these mail errors too. While Opera is closed, you could rename operaprefs.ini in the profile folder (and put the mail folder back to where it's supposed to be).

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